The phenomenon of child disappearances in several southern regions of Morocco continues to provoke anxiety and fear among the local population, especially following a series of kidnappings involving mostly female children. Many observers associate these child abduction incidents in southern Morocco with the activities of individuals who engage in witchcraft and sorcery, particularly the notorious treasure extraction gangs.
As a result, civil and political organizations in the area are sounding the alarm, demanding urgent action from government officials, security authorities, and national organizations specializing in children's issues to alleviate fears, locate the missing children, and initiate investigations into the treasure extraction gangs.
Residents of several villages are experiencing terror and horror due to the ongoing child disappearances, prompting parents to accompany their children to school for fear of facing these treasure and sorcery gangs. In this context, Aziz Bakar, a resident of the Ouled Othmane village in the municipality of Ouled Yahya in Zakoura, told "Sky News Arabia" that his 11-year-old daughter was nearly kidnapped during the last Ramadan near her school by two individuals on a motorcycle.
Bakar recounted that after the attempted abduction, his daughter could only remember screaming loudly, and when she refused to stop, they threw her to the ground. He explained that his daughter saw her abductors lurking around the secondary school, and when they seized her, they quickly took her away, threatening to kill her if she shared any information about them.
Bakar stated that his daughter has lived in a state of fright, no longer wanting to attend school for fear of encountering gang members again. However, one day she noticed one of the kidnappers lurking around their home, but he fled upon seeing her aunt. He reported this to the authorities and filed a complaint, emphasizing that his daughter was not the only one targeted; another 12-year-old girl was also kidnapped by the same two individuals, though she managed to escape.
Bakar urged the responsible authorities to pay attention to this marginalized region and take urgent measures to stop the treasure extraction gangs, noting that the series of child disappearances has led to many students dropping out of school.
### Treasure Gangs... Bloodsuckers
In light of the ongoing abduction incidents, civil society organizations have become involved. In this context, Lamine Labied, a representative of the Moroccan Network for Human Rights and Monitoring Wealth and Protection of Public Funds in Zakoura, stated that the region has witnessed the phenomenon of child abductions targeting "lucky" children by treasure-seeking gangs.
Labied disclosed that these treasure gangs specifically seek children with bright eyes and a straight line on the palm of their right hand, whom they sacrifice to jinn after draining their blood to extract treasures from the earth, especially in mountainous areas.
He mentioned that some locals attribute child abductions or disappearances to human organ trafficking gangs, although the majority believe it is due to treasure extraction gangs. Labied sadly recounted cases of girls aged 10 to 12 who were nearly abducted, stating, “We received information from their parents, and we heard about abduction attempts, but the victims’ families have not filed any complaints.”
He detailed how, upon learning that two schoolgirls had been abducted within two weeks, he immediately sought to support them and informed the authorities. Following Bakar's daughter’s abduction incident, another 12-year-old girl from Ouled Othmane attempted to escape from two people matching the same description as those who targeted Bakar's daughter.
Labied stated that the second child reported that the abductors covered her face with a mask to prevent her from recognizing them. After traveling about 50 kilometers, their motorcycle broke down, allowing her to flee. She bravely started throwing stones at them and screamed loudly, forcing them to retreat in fear of being caught by locals.
In this context, the civil activist has called on the royal gendarmerie to intensify efforts to apprehend the treasure extraction gangs and urged authorities to focus on what is happening in the marginalized and neglected regions of Morocco. He recalled the tragic case of Naima Rouhi, a 5-year-old girl whose dismembered body was found near her village of Tefrkalt in Akka, over 40 days after her disappearance.
### Political Party Steps In
The alarming trend of abductions has also prompted the Constitutional Union party in Zakoura to take action, sending a letter to the Ministers of Interior and Justice urging them to investigate the phenomenon of child abductions in the region, particularly as several children have gone missing.
The letter requested the ministers to consider this issue seriously and issue orders to investigate the child abduction cases, especially among girls, which have escalated recently in Zakoura. It highlighted that numerous young children have been abducted from their families without any leads to their whereabouts, despite investigations by security forces, all of which have yielded no results in identifying the perpetrators.
Youssef Afidas, the regional coordinator of the Constitutional Union party, told "Sky News Arabia" that the families of the kidnapped children remain in the dark and suffer immensely due to these acts. He recalled the horrific crime against Naima, whose remains were found in the mountains, noting that two kidnapping attempts occurred during Ramadan but fortunately failed when the victims screamed.
The regional coordinator stressed that residents now live in constant fear for their children’s safety, questioning the motives and reasons behind this criminal phenomenon, especially since all investigations have failed to reach those responsible for these crimes. Therefore, the message calls on the Minister of Justice to intensify the investigation efforts to put an end to this issue and arrest those involved to bring justice and restore safety and peace of mind to the citizens.
